Primark and Zara bosses have come under fire for 'unacceptable purchasing practices' recently uncovered by researchers.
The two fashion houses are among dozens of brands revealed to be paying below the cost of production - with the majority of factories selling to the largest retailers paying the same prices despite the cost of raw materials increasing. The study, conducted by the University of Aberdeen and charity Transform Trade, said suppliers named 1,138 brands they had contracts with in February 2020 and of those, 37% were reported as having engaged in unfair practices.
More than half of suppliers said they had suffered unfair purchasing practices, including cancellations, failure to pay, delays in payment and discount demands, with knock-on effects including forced overtime and harassment. Since the revelations were published today, campaigners have called for a fashion watchdog to be set up in order to halt the 'unfair' practices.
